Artwork Page for Artisan

Details / Information for Artisan

Artisan

250–600 CE

Guatemala, Petén region, Maya style (250-900), Maya style

(250-900)
View all records in artwork set
Medium
earthenware with colored slips
Measurements
Overall: 59 x 26 x 22 cm (23 1/4 x 10 1/4 x 8 11/16 in.)
Credit Line
John L. Severance Fund 1994.12.2
Public Domain
You can copy, modify, and distribute this work, all without asking permission. Learn more about CMA's Open Access Initiative.
Location
233 Mesoamerican and Intermediate Region
Print

Description

These figures represent the supernatural patrons of the visual arts and writing: the brothers Hun Batz and Hun Chuen ("One Monkey" and "One Artisan"). The two were refined artists but also bullies who tormented their younger brothers, who took revenge by transforming their elders into monkeys. Many Maya representations of the painter-scribes immortalize this fate by depicting the pair with both simian and human features, as here. The brothers are shown engaged in artistic or scribal pursuits. Sitting on high-domed bases that may have served as the lids of incense or offering bowls, each apparently once grasped a tool in his upper hand—for instance, a paint brush or a stylus for writing. In the lower hand, one cradles a small mask and the other, a piece of bark that likely refers to the beaten bark from which the Maya made books.
An earthenware sculpture in earthy red and tan slips depicts a figure with human features seated cross-legged on a bell-shaped base. The figure wears an elaborate headdress with birdlike features, large circular ear ornaments, and a beaded necklace with a pendant. They hold a birdlike object over a shallow bowl, as if at work. Winged forms project from their shoulders, and remnants of red slip cover their face and thin torso.

Artisan

250–600 CE

Guatemala, Petén region, Maya style (250-900), Maya style (250-900)

See Also

Visually Similar by AI

Contact Us

The information about this object, including provenance, may not be currently accurate. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please fill out the appropriate request form linked below:

Update or Correct Artwork Information

Imagery or Rights for Non-Open-Access Artworks

Report a Website Issue

Further Questions About This Artwork